One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
by DucksFan1510
Summary: High School AU! Rick Grimes is the new kid in school and of course he's going to get noticed by the wrong people!
1. Chapter 1

**New story! I've always wanted to write some characters into high school. Here it is! Read and Review!**

**Chapter 1**

Rick woke up to a Monday morning-great day to start at a new school. He and his dad had to move because his dad lost his job and then had gotten rehired as a lead Sheriff. It was a far move to get to a small town outside of the big cities in Georgia but they managed. He hadn't liked the look of the town as they had driven through it. It wasn't run down but there were a bunch of boys that looked like they were thugs. A bunch of girls also looked suspicious. As they'd driven by a group of boys, one of them threw a plastic bottle at the car. Rick's dad looked at his son, "This place is going to keep me busy." Rick didn't have a ride to his school, Woodberry High, so he had to walk. He laid low. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself. He looked in front of him and saw a small line of kids walking to school as well-three boys and two girls. One of the girls had blonde hair and the other brown. The tallest boy had thick black hair that stood up weird. The second tallest had a blonde buzz cut and he had his arm around the shortest boy who had light brown hair. Rick moved a bit closer to hear what they were saying. "… stupid son of a bitch caught me when I was out at the station-just fixing up my little brother's bike here and he walks right up. Starts asking me these stupid questions about a robbery a block away that I actually had nothing to do with," the blonde kid was saying. The tall boy laughed, "For once you had nothing to do with it. You rob more buildings than all the freakin super villains in Batman put together." The two girls laughed at this and the shorter boy looked up at the blonde boy with a grin, "I could beat him in any robbery. You saw me throw the bottle at the new Sheriff's car yesterday. He knows not to mess with us." Rick's jaw dropped. These kids were criminals. He was going to school with a bunch of criminals. He kept back from the group of kids as they walked to the school.

Arriving there he realized he had no idea where he had to go. He heard a voice as he pulled out his schedule, "Hey new kid. You need some help there?" Rick turned around half expecting to see one of the criminals but saw an Asian boy his age. "I'm Glenn. Let me see the schedule," the kid said. Rick handed Glenn his schedule and the kid looked it over. "Great! Your first hour is with me. Come on," he said and he started off. Rick caught up to him and they walked while Glenn pointed out some of the important places. "Cafeteria is through there. Bathrooms are pretty obvious but the best ones are right by the cafeteria. Main office is over there on the other side of the cafeteria. Everything is kind of a circle around the cafeteria so you can always find the center," he explained.

The two reached their class and Glenn walked in first, "Mornin' Mr. Greene." The man at the desk looked up, "Hello Glenn. Is this Mr. Grimes?" Glenn shrugged, "I think so." Rick nodded, "Yea that's me." Mr. Greene nodded, "Ok. Rick you can go sit in front of Mr. Dixon over there. Dixon, stand up please." Rick scanned the room and saw the kid from the morning, the one who had bragged about throwing the bottle at the car. Great. He walked over and sat in the seat in front of the kid. He couldn't believe his luck when, not five seconds later, the tall kid from earlier walked in and sat down next to Dixon. Glenn was sitting two spaces away from him. That sucked. A pretty girl with long brown hair came in and sat down in front of him. She turned around, "Hey I'm Lori. Are you the new guy?" Rick nodded, "Rick." Lori smiled, "Are you friends with Glenn yet? I saw him chase you down today." Rick smiled, "Yea I'd be lost without him right now." Lori took Rick's schedule and checked it out, "Well I can help you get to your next hour since it's mine too." Rick smiled, "Thanks I'll need it." Another girl walked in and sat down next to him. He recognized her as the brown haired girl from earlier. "Hey I'm Maggie," she said. He smiled, "Rick." Maggie nodded, "You're new aren't you? I thought I saw you move in across the street." Rick nodded, "Yea that was me." He liked these two girls. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Dixon looking at him, "She's taken. You can't have her." The kid next to Dixon laughed and Maggie glared at him, "Just because we're dating doesn't mean I can't talk to anyone else." Dixon smirked, "Yea? What if I went over and started talking with Andrea, would that make you upset?" The boy next to Dixon stopped laughing, "Hey you leave her alone." Dixon rolled his eyes, "I'm kidding douche bag." They got into a little scuffle as the class began. The taller kid kicked Dixon's desk and the smaller kid went crashing to the floor. Mr. Greene turned around, obviously annoyed that the lesson was being interrupted, "Dixon, Walsh, stop messing around or I'll have to move your seats." The kid named Walsh rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry. My friend here was just a little off balance." Dixon got up and fixed his desk, "Sorry. Foot got stuck." He smiled and the teacher turned back to the lesson. Walsh flipped him off before opening his book to some random page and pretending to look interested. Rick focused back on his book until he felt something on his back. He turned his head slightly and could just make out Dixon's feet up on the desk, book open in his lap, his feet tapping forward enough just so they could keep up an annoying series of taps on Rick's chair.

They had about ten minutes at the end of the class to talk and move around. Lori led him over to Glenn and the three talked. Lori sighed, "I really don't like those two. It's even worse that Maggie is with Dixon. We can't insult him when she's around cause she'll get all protective." Rick looked at the two boys standing over on the other side of the room cornering some smaller kid. Dixon was smiling and Walsh was standing with his arms crossed. He turned back, "It doesn't seem like they're nice guys." Lori shook her head, "I just wish Maggie could see that. Dixon is such a smart ass. He should be in jail because he broke in to a video game store the other day. Family paid bail. He got out of it. His brother's worse." He heard the victorious laughter and knew that Dixon and Walsh had achieved their goal of torturing that kid. The bell rang and they were off to their next classes. Sadly they ended up behind Walsh and Dixon who were still laughing. Walsh took a threatening step towards Dixon while the smaller kid laughed, "Please- please this is all the money I have. I need it for lunch." Walsh laughed, "Did he really think that we'd give a shit?" Dixon staggered with laughter, "I guess so."

**Yikes, Rick is in some trouble already. Thanks for reading! Next chapter to come in a day or two!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! The next chapter is here! Good Luck Rick!**

**Chapter 2**

Rick didn't meet up with Dixon or Walsh again until lunch. He was with Glenn and Lori again. Maggie was sitting with them too. He'd also met this nice kid named T-Dog and his friend Tyreese. They were sitting at a table when the group from the morning came over. Dixon sat down next to Maggie and smiled, "Hey beautiful." The blonde kid from the morning made gagging noises but hit Dixon on the head, "Stop it. Everyone's going to throw up." Walsh laughed and sat down next to the blonde girl from the morning. Another kid joined them and the blonde boy grinned, "Hey Phil." The tall kid smiled, "Merle, Shane, Andrea." Walsh waved at him, "Hey, do you got a girlfriend yet?" Dixon laughed, "Shane lay off the guy. It's not his fault that we're so much better looking." The blonde kid, who was now identified as Merle, laughed. Glenn rolled his eyes, "I hate these guys." Rick nodded, "Same." Dixon was laughing again, "Shane and I here got everyone a present." He pulled out a stack of cookies from his backpack; "A kid in our first hour was nice enough to donate us some money." Merle laughed, "Great job brother." Rick looked at the blonde girl there who must be Andrea, the girl Dixon had said he would talk with to make Maggie and Shane mad. Shane and Andrea must have something going on. He turned back to the conversation with Glenn, T-Dog, and Tyreese. Tyreese was talking, "The bad thing about coming in now was that you missed all the spring sports." Rick raised his eyebrows, "I'm not a sports guy. I'm not good at them." T-Dog shrugged, "I'm not either but I still play baseball. I made the team last year…" Rick shrugged, "Just not my stuff." Glenn nodded, "Same here." He nodded at Dixon, "Dixon plays baseball and Shane too." Rick glanced over at the two boys who were laughing again, "How old are they?" Tyreese stepped in, "Shane and Dixon are your age. Dixon's older brother, Merle, is a junior, along with Andrea, and Phil is a senior." Rick nodded, "Ok. What's Dixon's first name?" The three guys actually stopped. Did they really not know? Maggie turned to them, "His name is Daryl, Rick." Rick nodded. Daryl. Dixon had a better ring to it. The bell rang and Daryl yelled, "Thank God, only two more of these pointless classes!" The group separated and Rick managed to find his class on his own. He ended up sitting next to Shane, and Daryl was there too. Why? He was so mad that they were in the same class as him. He heard them whispering the whole class time. At the end of the hour Shane walked up to him with Daryl in tow. "So you're the Sheriff's kid huh?" he asked with a smirk. Daryl was grinning at him, "Sorry if I dented your piece of shit car yesterday." Rick rolled his eyes, "Like yours is any better." Daryl grinned wider, "You just wait."

After school Rick walked outside searching for his dad's car when he heard the gunning of an engine. He turned to see everyone watching. He heard yelling and a motorcycle turned into the lane to get out of school. It was the Dixons. Merle was driving and Daryl was on the back yelling crazy things. As they passed Rick, Daryl gave him a wicked grin, "Whose ride is better now Grimes?" Merle laughed as they waited on the road. Rick guessed that Merle had gotten a parent to drop the bike off for them to ride back. Merle must have gotten it over the weekend and it needed some fixing up. All the students were watching the two Dixons. Apparently, motorcycles weren't something seen turning out of the school. They probably weren't allowed. Shane appeared at the front and started clapping. The waiting kids joined in and soon half the kids were whistling and cheering the two Dixons on as the principal appeared to yell at them. Merle grinned through his helmet, "Oh shit, it's the big guy. Better move Daryl." Daryl laughed and the bike sped up to pull out of the school. Rick saw Shane glance back at the approaching principal. The Dixons wouldn't make it with the traffic. Shane moved a bit and stepped into the principal's path. It was the slightest falter of a step as the two collided but it was enough for the Dixons to get out.

Rick got a text on his phone, from his dad, telling him to walk to the station and they'd drive home from there. The police station wasn't far from the school, so Rick set off quickly. He was surprised to see Shane a good distance ahead of him. Since everyone seemed to live in the same spot, Rick thought nothing of it. He was actually very surprised when Shane turned up the drive of the police station. Rick followed him but Shane didn't really notice. The kid walked into the station and Rick followed. A big deputy stood up and greeted Shane, "Shane, are you ready to get going?" Shane shrugged, "I don't care. If you have to stay longer that's fine." Rick ducked away before Shane could see him and headed towards his dad's office. His dad smiled at him, "How was school Rick?" Rick shrugged, "It was alright. There are some pretty cool kids there." His dad nodded, "The deputy here has a kid in your grade. I think he walked in with you actually." Rick nodded, "Yea I saw him a few times today." His dad got up, "Alright. How about you get to the car and I'll be there in a few minutes."

Rick nodded and left the office. He headed towards the doors when he heard yelling. "When are you ever going to come home? You've been at the station for five nights straight!" Was that Shane? He couldn't tell. "I'm sorry I have a job Shane. If you want to try your luck at earning some money, go ahead. We need the extra money," the deputy said coldly. Shane went off again, "Yea? Well I bet when I'm your age I'll have a job too. It won't make us enough money but I'll still make time to visit my kids at home!" Rick went for the door but was too slow. Shane came stalking out of the deputy's office and saw Rick standing there.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Next chapter will be here soon! They'll start getting longer as we go in farther so just hold on!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Next Chapter is up! Have fun with it! This story is so much fun to write!**

**Chapter 3**

Rick froze. This was not a good position to be in. Shane saw him standing there and he stomped toward him. He shoved his shoulder into Rick and Rick felt himself move a little more than he expected, "Shove off Grimes." Rick mentally groaned as his dad came out at that time, "What did you just say son?" His father walked angrily over to Shane but Shane was full of rage at the moment, "Kiss my ass Sheriff!" Rick didn't move as Shane shoved past him and out the door. The taller boy was walking quickly down the sidewalk, probably back to his house. Rick watched Shane's retreating form as he walked with his dad to the car. "You don't hang out with that kid, Rick. He seems very unstable," his dad said. Rick shook his head, "I wasn't planning on it." As they drove back towards the house Rick heard a sound he was hoping not to here.

Sure enough, as soon as his dad stopped at a red light, the Dixons pulled up on their motorcycle next to his dad's car. Daryl was on the back again and grinning wildly at them. Merle laughed and said something to Daryl. The younger Dixon nodded and continued watching the car. Merle revved the engine a few times and then handed a pile of coins to Daryl. Rick watched as Daryl checked to see if Rick's dad was watching. He then proceeded to flip himself around on the cycle and the light turned green. Merle pulled out fast. Rick shook his head-this was going to be embarrassing if his dad went after them. Merle steered the bike so they were in front of Rick and his dad. Daryl waved happily at them as his dad squinted. "Is he riding backwards on that thing? I have to pull him over for that," he said. Rick put his head in his hands and begged for Daryl to turn around. His thoughts were interrupted when there were a few metallic clanks and his dad gasped. Another clank and the sound of glass chipping, Rick looked up to see Daryl chucking coins at the car from his back seat on the cycle. He could tell both of the Dixon brothers were laughing. Daryl tapped Merle's shoulder and the bike moved back over to the other lane and the engine slowed so they were level with the car. Merle waved at them and Rick's dad made a motion for them to pull over. Merle glanced at Daryl, who shrugged, and the bike pulled onto the side of the street. Rick tried to lower himself to the floor as his dad got out of the car. He listened as his dad talked to the Dixons.

"Sorry officer, is there a problem?" That was Merle. The voice was sarcastic but a little wheezier than Daryl's. It was also filled with strain because he was trying not to laugh. Daryl spoke this time, "We just wanted to try out the bike. I swear. There's nothing on the bike that says you can't ride it backwards so we tried. I had myself tied in fine." Rick's dad sighed, "What about the coins?" Daryl looked at him, "Oh the coins? Sorry about that. My brother here was hitting some crazy swivels and stuff. Must have lost my grip on a couple of them when he hit them, they didn't do a lot of damage did they? I might be able to help pay for the damage." His dad eyed them, "You guys get off with a warning, ok. That's it. Next time I'm going to want money." Daryl smiled at him and flipped him a twenty, "Use this in your damage repairs." The two Dixons drove off and when his dad turned to walk back to the car, Daryl and Merle both turned and gave him the finger as they drove off. Rick couldn't wait to get home. Today was getting worse and worse. It was even worse when he found Shane sitting out in the yard next to his. Of course he'd have to live right next to that kid. Shane saw them pull in and just watched the car, his eyes never leaving Rick. The two Dixons pulled into Shane's driveway a few minutes later and the three boys headed into his house. Rick sat down inside at the table while his dad cursed the Dixon brothers. "Those stupid kids. I swear they're just here to make everyone else's life a living hell. I don't even think their dad has a job. Mom might work but who knows. I hope they move soon." Rick had to agree. He didn't like the Dixon brothers. All they did was cause trouble. Probably, like his dad had said, the only reason they were on this planet. Rick finished his homework easily. He was good with stuff like that but not obsessed like some people.

He decided to head outside and maybe take his bike out. He got no farther than five steps out the door before he felt a stinging pain in his side and he saw his shirt covered in paint. He looked over at Shane's yard and didn't see anyone at first. Then he saw the outline of Daryl, wearing all camo, lying underneath a tree with a paintball gun in his hand. Rick glared, "Hey what the hell?" Daryl smirked, "What? You going to get your dad to arrest me?" Another paintball hit him in the exact same spot and Merle waved at him from about ten feet away. He was getting mad and it only got worse when he felt another one hit him in the exact same spot. Shane was hanging upside down from the tree in Rick's yard. They'd positioned themselves so that they could hit him in the same spot as he turned to glare at each of them. They must have gone through a lot of strategy to plan that out and get into the yard without Rick noticing. The three kids grinned at him and then Shane flipped out of the tree. He wandered over to the Dixon brothers and the three gave him a mocking wave before going into Shane's house. Rick shook his head and grabbed his bike.

He rode down the street and he heard someone behind him. He turned to find Maggie and Lori. Lori smiled, "Hi Rick. You alright?" Rick nodded. Maggie sighed, "I'm sorry about Daryl. He has to get control of himself." Rick shrugged, "It's fine really." Maggie shook her head, "It's not. I'll talk to him later. I have to go." She turned away and hurried down the street. Lori walked by him as he walked his bike. "See? I told you. Everything that Dixon does is ok. She'll take care of it. I hate how she thinks he's a good person," she sighed and Rick nodded. "Sometimes when you like someone, everything they do is ok," he said. Lori nodded, "Well it's going to get dark soon. I should go back. Oh Rick, me and a couple of friends are going to the park this weekend, would you want to join us?" Rick thought for a second, "Yea I'd like that. Cool." She nodded and walked back the way she'd come. Rick rode back towards his house and made sure to search the yard before he ran across the grass and up to his door. He made it in without getting nailed by any paintballs so he called it an achievement. He went upstairs to his room and crashed.

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in a few days and then we'll see what Rick gets into next! Reviews are very welcome!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Next chapter here! Won't be updating for a few days I won't be around but enjoy!**

**Chapter 4**

The next day Rick was trying very hard to not turn around and hit the younger Dixon brother in his first hour. The kid was harassing him the whole time. Daryl and Shane had walked in together a minute before the bell had rung. As they walked by, Shane had tapped Daryl's shoulder, so Daryl turned and Rick got a face full of Daryl's backpack. Shane had started laughing, so he guessed the whole thing had been staged. As the hour went on, Shane must have gotten bored because he took out headphones and started listening to music. Daryl started tapping Shane until Shane reluctantly handed one of the ear pieces to him and the two boys started rocking out behind Rick. Shane was nodding his head slightly and tapping his foot. Daryl tapped his pencil in his hand and then would occasionally hit Rick when he tapped his foot on Rick's chair.

Ten minutes before the bell they took their headphones out and then Rick started getting bothered. Since everyone was talking, Daryl and Shane made a point of standing on opposite sides of the room and yelling to each other. "Hey Shane, guess what?" Daryl yelled from one side of the room. Shane snickered but yelled back, "What Daryl?" Daryl grinned, "Merle and I were riding our cycle yesterday and we pulled up next to the new Sheriff and his kid. We had a bit of fun and they pulled us over for it!" Shane frowned, "That's not good! But hey, everyone's a spoil sport sometimes. Did they give you hard time? Were you interrogated?" Daryl laughed, "Nope. He let us off with a warning, even though we threw coins at his car." Shane walked back to his seat to pick up his bag, "Well that's good." He hit Rick's shoulder, "Bet you found it really funny." Daryl smiled, "I did." He walked by, hitting Rick's other shoulder. "We got him back, of course." Shane nodded, "I know. Brilliant plan to hit Grimes here with a couple paintballs." Shane leaned down in Rick's face, "How'd that feel Grimes?" Daryl laughed, "I bet he rode off crying." Lori got up and shoved Daryl back, "How about you leave him alone right now?" Daryl raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you're going to get involved now?" Shane smirked but Lori didn't take her eyes off of Daryl, "Go to hell Dixon." Daryl smiled, "If I do then I'll surely see you there." Shane burst out laughing and then the bell rang.

The two headed out of the room. Glenn came over, "Too many people in this class. I tried to get over. Sorry." Lori shrugged, "Its fine. Let's go guys." Rick headed out with his two friends and they made their way around. He was dreading his fifth hour. That's when he'd see Shane and Daryl again. He didn't have any friends in that class except T-Dog but he sat on the other side of the class. It wasn't too bad, surprisingly. Their teacher talked until the very end of the hour. He sighed in relief when Daryl and Shane just walked out of the room without looking for him. He wandered out and was thankful there was only one more hour. It passed quickly and then he was out of school.

He didn't get far before he heard a voice call him. "Hey Grimes!" Shoot. He turned to see Shane, Daryl, and Merle walking after him. He did the only thing he could. He ran. He knew it looked bad but he didn't feel like talking to these guys. He was fast but apparently Shane and Daryl were fast too, because they caught him easily. Merle was looking behind them constantly as they took Rick away from the school. Daryl glanced back, "Anyone watching Merle?" Rick couldn't see Merle since Shane had a death grip on the back of his neck, making him look forward. Merle had confirmed they were safe and then Daryl and Shane picked up the pace a little bit. There was a small patch of trees in the middle of the field outside the school. No one would see them there. Rick contained his nervousness and tried to think of ways to escape. Shane's grip loosened on him as they reached the trees and he kicked out immediately. What did Shane do, police training? Shane caught his leg easily and pulled it out from under him. Daryl laughed at Rick as he landed hard, "Nice try Grimes." Merle kept watching the field for signs of people for another five minutes before he confirmed, once again, they were good.

Shane nodded, "Alright, who wants to go first?" Daryl jumped, "Me. I want to." The other two boys nodded and dove on Rick. Shane grabbed Rick's ankles as Merle grabbed his wrists and, just like that, they had him pinned. Daryl walked over, grinning, "Sorry about this. Just make sure your dad doesn't interfere with my riding anymore, Sheriff Boy." Rick saw the punch coming before it happened but that didn't stop it from hurting. Daryl went on for about five minutes and then Shane said, "Alright Daryl, my turn." Rick didn't like that. Shane was a lot bigger than Daryl and probably a lot stronger. Shane's first hit told him he was right. Shane was still wailing on Rick when three figures rounded the trees and knocked him off. Tyreese, Glenn, and T-Dog stood ready for a fight. Rick shook Merle off and joined them. Daryl's eyes narrowed and Shane stood in front of his group. Here it went? Yep. Daryl was a little hot headed and he started forward. Shane moved up as well. As they neared the group Shane took the lead and Daryl followed right behind him. Rick watched as they neared Glenn, who was standing in front of their group. Rick knew something was wrong. People weren't this calm in a fight.

He almost missed the slight signal Shane gave, a half a second before the tall boy dropped to the ground and Daryl delivered a huge punch straight to Glenn's face. Shane kicked out from the ground and Glenn's feet went out from under him. Grinning, Merle raced up to the scene where the boys had started brawling and Rick knew he had to help. He stepped in as Daryl delivered a huge roundhouse kick to T-Dog's side. Rick blasted his fist straight into Daryl's nose and he felt the bone break. Blood spurted from the boy's face as he staggered. Merle was on him in a second. The seventeen year old was huge compared to the other kids and Rick had no chance of escaping him. It took Tyreese and T-Dog both to finally get Merle off of Rick. He heard Shane shouting, "Come on Merle. We have to get him to the hospital. His nose is shattered." He looked up and almost felt ashamed of himself, as he saw Daryl covered in blood. Merle was running over to them and in a few minutes the three boys had vanished. T-Dog bent down to Rick, "Are you alright man?" Rick nodded, "Yea I'll be ok."

**Hope you guys liked it! Reviews are very welcome! I want to know what you guys think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry for not updating! I had a busy week but here's the next chapter! Thank you guys for reading and reviewing!**

**Chapter 5**

The rest of the week passed quickly with the absence of Daryl. Shane wasn't as threatening by himself and Merle could only harass Rick after school. Rick knew that he'd get a lot of harassment from Merle eventually for breaking his brother's nose. Rick hung out more with Lori and Glenn. The two had reminded him of the trip to the park on Saturday, which was what Rick was currently preparing for. He woke up late and was now rushing through the house to make sure that he looked slightly presentable. He had on black shorts and a white T-shirt and he figured it would look fine for just a little meeting at the park. He was out the door and on his bike in seconds. As he pulled up to the park, he saw Lori, Maggie, and Glenn there already and they all waved him over.

He heard the cycle before he saw it. The Dixons pulled up beside him and Daryl yelled to him, "Going to the party Grimes? You gotta look better!" Rick glared at him, "Yea? I bet I look better than you and your crooked nose." Daryl's face lost all humor and his eyes turned to ice. The next thing Rick knew he was covered in some gooey substance. Daryl and Merle were laughing at him as Daryl waved a bottle that had somehow launched whatever it was that was all over Rick's shirt right now. Even worse, he was wearing a white shirt. Great. Daryl grinned, "Chocolate. Looks like someone's a messy eater. You think we'll still have enough for our ice cream Merle? I couldn't pass up on the opportunity." Merle grinned through his helmet, "Nah it'll be fine. We can always tell Shane he can't have any-he doesn't like it much anyway." The boys laughed as they pulled into a parking spot near the entrance to the park. Rick couldn't go home now. His friends had already seen him so he just walked towards them. Lori was glaring at the two Dixons entering the park. Rick looked over to her, "Why are they here?" Lori rolled her eyes, "Maggie asked Daryl to come. So of course Daryl brought Merle. At least they're outnumbered here." Rick nodded and turned to see the Dixons approaching and another familiar form walking into the park. "I don't think we are going to have fun here," he said, as Shane walked down the path and leaped on Merle's back. Merle proceeded to flip the kid over his head and push him into the pond near the entrance. Daryl was laughing as he went to help his friend out of the water. Lori sighed, "Maybe we can somehow have our own party without them." Glenn grinned, "I have an idea. We can move over to those trees there. They're pretty far away." Rick nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

The three began walking towards the patch of trees when Shane yelled, "Hey Grimes? Are you hungry? Cause a lot of your breakfast seems to be all over your shirt!" Merle was rolling in the grass while Daryl was bent over laughing. Shane smirked slightly, being the only one that had managed to remain standing. Lori grabbed Rick's arm and pulled him away from the three boys who were now all lying in the grass howling. Glenn glared at them and then turned to Rick, "They're just stupid Rick. Brush them off." Rick nodded but the sun was melting the chocolate on him and he was feeling a little sticky. He heard Daryl yell from behind him, "He looks like he just crawled out of Willy Wonka's ChocolateRiver!" The three kids were once again rolling in the grass with laughter. Rick, Lori, and Glenn reached the trees away from them and sat down in the shade. T-Dog and Tyreese joined them a minute later and they had brought a girl named Beth. Lori introduced Rick to her. She was really nice and happened to be Maggie's sister. They were in the same grade. The six of them talked for a while before Rick heard yelling from the other side of the park.

The six of them turned around. "You just have to stop. It's not fair to him!" Maggie yelled. Daryl glared back at her, "Yea? Well how about you keep out of my business? He deserves exactly what he gets!" Maggie stalked up to him, "You only think that cause you're a simple-minded piece of shit!" Daryl backed up and Rick could tell that Maggie was hitting some kind of nerve. "Well if you…." Daryl started, but Maggie cut him off, "No Daryl, you listen. I'm done with you. You're not going to change. The only thing you're good at is making everyone feel bad about themselves. What happened to the kid I knew in seventh grade?" Daryl turned away and didn't say anything. Maggie started to walk away, "Fine. Good luck trying to find another girlfriend. With the way that you act, I'll be surprised if you even get married in ten years." Daryl turned his head as Maggie walked away. The boy walked quickly towards her and Rick got up immediately. "Rick what are you doing?" Lori asked, as she got up too. Rick ran towards Maggie and Daryl but he knew he was going to be too far away. Lori gasped as Daryl grabbed Maggie's shoulder and backhanded her across the face, "Oh my god." Rick was running and Glenn managed to catch up to him. "You get Daryl, I'll get Maggie." Rick nodded and the two boys confronted the pair.

Rick went right up to Daryl and the other boy shifted his eyes to him. He shoved Maggie back, "What you going to do Grimes? Call your dad? I'm scared already. Come at me. See what you're made of without all your friends." Rick accepted the challenge immediately and Daryl smirked as the fight started. Rick jumped at Daryl but the other boy shifted away and laughed. He shoved Rick back and waited for the next attack. Rick came at him again a little more cautiously. Daryl grinned wickedly as he took a step to his right. Rick followed but immediately regretted it as Daryl moved back to his original position and hit him in the side. Another hard shove backwards. Rick watched him cautiously and then kicked out, knocking Daryl's feet out and landing him on the ground. Daryl coughed as he hit the ground and the air left him. Rick went to follow him but he was lifted off the ground by two strong arms. He heard a voice in his ear, "You really think you'd get away with getting another shot at hurting my little brother?" Daryl smirked up at him. Well shit.

**Thanks for reading guys! Reviews are great! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay! Here's the next chapter! Hope you guys like it!**

**Chapter 6**

Daryl clambered to his feet as Merle dropped Rick to the ground. Shane stood a couple feet away watching, with that stupid smirk still on his face. Rick got up and backed away from Merle. He could handle Daryl, maybe Shane. Not Merle. He was too big. It was kind of bad when he realized Daryl was still behind him. The younger Dixon caught him under the arms and held him still, "Whenever you're ready Merle. You didn't get a chance on Tuesday." Shane was laughing. Well Shane could go to hell. All three of them could. Merle came at Rick but he dodged and the fist meant for him hit Daryl. Then Rick kicked Merle in the stomach. Merle growled, "Well good job holding him still, little brother." Daryl was coughing, "Well good job punching me in the face." Rick didn't say anything. Merle glared at Daryl, "The only reason I hit you in the face was because Grimes moved because you weren't holding him steady." Daryl tossed Rick aside and stalked up to his older brother, "I still would've hit him if he had moved. It's not my fault your eyes can't track a moving target and that you have reflexes as slow as a turtle." The two brothers continued to fight so Rick escaped and ran back to the group.

Glenn was sitting next to Maggie, who was trying not to cry. Lori was waiting for him to get back, "Are you ok?" Rick nodded, "Yep. Daryl and Merle got in a fight. How's Maggie?" Lori sighed, "She's a little shaken up." She lowered her voice, "I told her so many times Dixon was bad. I wish she would've believed me before this. Rick, I want to get him back somehow." Rick looked over at her, "Going after someone because of something is the same thing they're doing." Lori shook her head, "No. They're going after someone for no reason. He hurt Maggie for no reason, Rick. We need to do something." Glenn walked up, "I agree. It's time that those assholes get a little bit of their own medicine." Rick finally agreed, "Ok. How are we going to do this?" Lori thought for a few minutes before saying, "I'm not sure yet. I'll tell you if I think of something."

Rick and Glenn nodded and then they walked out of the park. Rick grabbed his bike and hurried home so no one caught him. He didn't feel like dealing with the Dixons or Shane at the moment. He managed to get home without being bothered because all three of them were in Shane's yard. Apparently, the brothers had made up because the three of them were sitting in a circle, talking quietly. As Rick pulled up to his house, all three of them turned to look at him. He quickly walked to his house and hopped inside under the glares of the three boys from the yard next to him. Why couldn't they go over to the Dixons' house sometimes? He didn't go outside until he knew that the Dixons had left and then he only went out for a minute to put his bike away.

His dad came home shortly after. "How was your little meeting Rick?" he asked. Rick nodded, "Fun. It was really good." Rick looked outside and noticed no cars in the driveway next to him. "Hey, Dad, is … um… Deputy Walsh coming home today?" he asked. His dad shrugged, "I don't know. Probably not. He has a lot of work that he's put off. Why?" Rick shook his head, "Just wondering." He had a feeling that Shane wouldn't be in a good mood tomorrow. That was almost two weeks the Deputy hadn't been home. Whatever. Why was he feeling bad? These kids were jerks to him. He should hate them with a passion. But for some reason he had a little bit of sympathy for the Deputy's son. It would be hard to realize that your dad was choosing his work over you. It would be hard to live alone for weeks without ever seeing him even though he was only a few blocks away. Rick hated himself for trying to find something good in those boys. He shook it off and turned away from the window.

He felt his phone buzz and he turned it on. Lori. He remembered he had given his number to her today at the park. She was asking him if he had any ideas for messing with Daryl. He replied with a quick 'no'. He honestly hadn't been thinking about it. He really didn't want to go after the younger Dixon. Sure he was an ass but Merle was always there with him. The only time that Merle wasn't with Daryl was in school. Rick texted Lori back with that thought. He realized that if he went after Daryl they would be just as bad as him. So he hit Maggie, but she was ok. She wasn't staying with Daryl anymore, so she was safe. He didn't want to turn into a bully like the Dixons and Shane. He texted Lori that thought as well. Lori responded, 'Alright Rick, fine. But if he does something like that again, we go after him.' Rick agreed and then tossed his phone on to his dresser. He went to go eat dinner with his dad.

They didn't talk much. His mom was long gone. She'd died a while back when Rick was eight. She had been amazing too. Best mom you could ever ask for. She'd died when she was hit by a drunk driver on her way home one night. That was the reason that Rick wanted to be a cop when he was older. He could stop others from losing people that meant the world to them. It had been the worst day of his life and continued to be. His dad wasn't much of a talker but they had a good relationship. Better than Shane's relationship, at least.

**Oh Daryl you bad boy. Next update will be soon. Reviews are good! Thanks fore reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the delay guys but here is the next chapter! Things have been busy lately so I apologize if there are some gaps between updates. Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Chapter 7**

Rick woke up on Sunday and felt like he was missing something. His dad came into his room a minute later, "Come on Rick, we're going to be late. We've got to get to church." Right, church. Crap. He wasn't ready and they had about ten minutes before they had to go. He jumped up and threw on some clothes that looked nice and then ate a granola bar on the way. When they got there they found seats towards the back. His dad had insisted they go to church ever since his mom had died. He was actually surprised to see the younger Dixon brother by himself on one side and Shane sitting alone on the other side. Did they really come by themselves? Neither of the Dixons seemed like people who'd go to church. Shane, maybe, but he wasn't a likely candidate either. Must have nothing better to do. He wondered why Merle wasn't with Daryl. The brothers were hardly by themselves except at school. After church, Rick and his dad headed to the car. He saw Daryl run off down the street with Shane on his heels and the two boys vanished. Where were they going? Rick and his dad made it to the car when they heard many people shouting.

The, now very familiar, sound of the Dixon motorcycle was becoming louder. Merle was blasting music through the radio that was somehow tied to the back. The very impressive part about the whole set up was Shane and Daryl. Shane was sitting backwards on the cycle and it looked like he was tied to Merle so he didn't fall off. He was holding another rope that had Daryl on the other end. Daryl was balanced on a skateboard, about six feet away from the bike, had the rope tied around his waist and was holding on to it tightly. The two boys waved at the people near the church as they approached. As they neared the church the music got louder and Rick figured it out the song was 'Saints of Los Angeles' by Motley Crue. As a certain part in the song came up, Daryl let go of the rope and balanced himself without his hands. Shane was gripping the rope but when Daryl nodded at him he let go with one hand and fist pumped a few times. Rick was surprised none of them had fallen. Daryl yelled at the group of people in tune with the song, "We are, we are the saints, we signed our lives away!" He turned and looked at Rick's dad pointedly, "Doesn't matter what you think. We're gonna do it anyway! We are, we are the saints, one day you will confess!" As the last part of the chorus came on, all three of the boys yelled, "And pray to the saints of Los Angeles!" The three kids held those huge grins on their faces as they drove past and then the bike was gone. The crowd around the church actually cheered for them as they vanished but Rick's dad shook his head, "They're going to get hurt doing stuff like that."

Rick decided to walk home while his dad went after the Dixons and Shane. On his way, Rick walked past several other crowds of people who must have witnessed the motorcycle performance as well. Little boys and girls were jumping up and singing the lines from the song that Merle, Shane and Daryl had screamed at them. Some of the kids were holding little pieces of candy. Did the Dixons and Shane really throw them candy? This wasn't a parade, it was them being reckless and stupid. But the kids seemed to love it. Rick remembered the glare that Daryl had given his dad. He realized that they had a reason for their big performance. They wanted the Sheriff to know that no matter what he said to them, they would still be the annoying kids they were. They would still do exactly what they wanted and some new Sheriff wasn't going to change that.

Rick sighed as he saw the cycle coming for the second round, and the kids on the corner started yelling again. Rick's dad was behind them. Shoot. Rick tried to duck but Merle saw him, "Tell your dad to get off our tail, Grimes! He's ruining the fun, again!" Shane and Daryl laughed but Rick couldn't hear it over the radio blaring a new song. He was surprised when he saw Daryl hadn't wiped out yet. The bike pulled away from him and continued down the block. Rick was actually a bit impressed at how they had made it all work. The little kids laughed as they got showered with some more of the Dixons' small stash of candy and then once again began singing the lyrics from the song. Rick shook his head and continued home.

He met Lori halfway there. "Hey," he said. Lori smiled, "Hey Rick. Those stupid Dixons are up to things again, aren't they?" Rick nodded, "Yep. Riding around on that bike like it's some kind of parade float." Lori rolled her eyes, "Sunday is the day they like to mess with people. Maybe they're taking a break. The kids are enjoying it though." Rick had to laugh, "Yep I guess so." They walked a bit farther and when they turned onto Rick's street, the three boys were unloading their bike. "Hurry! Hurry! The stupid cop is coming," Shane was yelling. Merle was untying the radio and taking it into Shane's house, "Daryl, take the bike to the backyard. We'll let you in through the back door." Daryl hopped onto the bike that was way too big for him and drove around Shane's house. Rick saw his dad turn the corner of the street, but by then the house was quiet. Daryl had turned the bike off and Rick knew that his dad wouldn't find them. He and Lori continued their walk to his house. "Well I'll see you around Rick. Tomorrow actually," she said giving him a wave. Rick nodded and headed into his house. His dad came in a few minutes later, "Stupid kids. I'll get them one day. I can't wait to see them go to juvenile detention." Rick didn't say anything. It was probably better that he stay out of it.

He saw the Dixons and Shane go outside again. They were laughing as usual. "Come on Merle, one more time?" Daryl was begging. Merle shook his head, "The cop is on our tail now. We'll do it next week, ok?" Shane grinned, "We need a new position or something. It'll get old quick." Daryl thought for a moment, "We can come up with a good one later. What I want to figure out is another way to mess with Grimes. We need something better than food." Merle and Shane were quiet for a few minutes until Shane said, "I got nothing. We'll plan this week, for sure." Merle grinned, "Alright well I'll see you tomorrow Walsh. You have any plans after school?" Shane rolled his eyes, "What do you think? See you guys!" The Dixons scanned the streets before taking off on the bike. Rick leaned back against his wall. He knew that this week was going to be worse than last week if it was possible. He might as well enjoy the rest of his Sunday as much as he could.

**Another chapter up! Thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey you guys I am so sorry for not updating and the wrong chapter problem! Like I really am! Don't worry I'm getting back on top of things and will be updating this every two or three days now! Thanks for sticking with me through this down time! This is the right chapter!**

**Chapter 8**

It was raining in the morning. Rick threw a thin jacket on and headed outside. He knew it was going to be bad when Shane emerged out of his house at the same time. Not good. The bigger kid was going to mess with him. Even without Daryl and Merle, Shane was a threat. Shane stopped as he saw Rick coming down the sidewalk. He let Rick pass him and then began to follow him down the street. The walk only took ten minutes but it seemed like a longer time. As he neared the school, the rain started coming down harder. Shane hadn't said a thing to him yet. Was that good or bad? He never saw the younger Dixon brother. He just found himself in a pile of mud. Shane was leaning over with laughter as Daryl stood above him with a huge smirk on his face.

The two boys waited for Rick to pull himself out of the mud and then made a circle around him studying the damage done. Daryl hadn't bothered with a jacket. The kid never wore sleeves. His hair was plastered to his head but he was still laughing. "Looks like you got in a shit fight Grimes," he smirked. Shane laughed and the two boys' eyes met for a split second before they grinned evilly. Shane took a step back and knocked Rick back down into the puddle.

As kids walked by, Daryl would tell them not to slip. "Watch your footing here. It's pretty wet. Look where it got our buddy Grimes here. Walking around like a normal person and out of no where he just wipes out. Of course that may have to do with his lack of balance and coordination, but you get my point." Shane was trying to be serious but he couldn't stop the smirk from coming onto his face. Rick picked himself up again as Shane said, "Got two minutes Daryl." Daryl nodded and then shoved Rick back down before the two sprinted down the path. Rick got up again and ran after them. He knew he'd be late as he hit the doors as the bell rang.

Arriving at class soaking wet, covered in mud, and late is really embarrassing. Everyone was looking at him and of course Daryl had to make one of his snide comments, "A bit slippery out there eh?" Shane snorted and then tried to pass it off as an explosive sneeze. Mr. Greene looked at Rick, "Mr. Dixon, be quiet. Is there a reason that you're late Rick?" Rick shook his head, "Got held up today. Sorry." Mr. Greene nodded, "Sit down." Rick took his seat in front of Daryl. He noticed that Shane was still grinning at him. Daryl must have been waiting by that patch of mud for the whole morning. Shane had followed Rick to make sure that he wouldn't take a different route and to keep Daryl informed.

He felt the water on his back and saw Daryl rubbing his hand viciously through his hair to get the water out of it. Shane was holding his book to the side to block out the water droplets but Rick was getting full blast. They got a worksheet to work on with twenty minutes left in the hour.

Shane yawned behind him and pulled out a bottle of water to drink. Daryl started asking him to have a drink. Rick had to deal with the constant mock-pleading from the Dixon behind him and the annoyed refusal from Shane. Finally the taller boy must have given in because Daryl snatched the bottle from Shane's hand and took the last bit of water left.

He got up to throw it away and then his eyes widened as he started choking slightly. Shane looked at him very confused. Daryl coughed with his mouth shut one more time before he couldn't hold it in any longer and then coughed out his water. At that moment he had been standing near Rick's desk. Rick slowly pulled his dripping wet paper off of his desk. Shane almost fell out of his chair as he high-fived the no longer choking Dixon. Daryl was grinning proudly at the results of his idea. Rick couldn't believe it. He had just finished the work and now he would have to do it all over again. He wasn't turning in something covered in Dixon spit.

He got a new paper but saw two minutes left before the end of class and realized that he'd have homework. He packed up quickly and moved away from the still cackling boys behind him. Lori had moved to help Glenn with his homework and smiled at him, "Did you finish?" Rick shook his head, "Nope. Dixon spit all over my paper so I had to get a new one." Lori glared at the boy sitting on the other side of the class, "So that's what they were laughing about." Rick nodded, "What else?"

Lunch wasn't too bad, though he did have to listen to the events of the morning retold multiple times for Merle and Phil. It sent both of the boys into fits of laughter as Shane retold how Daryl had mimicked choking so he could throw up all the water on Rick's desk. T-Dog and Tyreese watched the other part of the table with narrowed eyes. "I really hate those kids," Tyreese said. Rick smiled slightly, "Join the club. I think almost everyone at the table has said that." T-Dog laughed at that and they continued eating. Ten minutes left in lunch and Daryl and Shane both got up and left the table. Rick watched them go. Merle rolled his eyes at Phil, "I swear they use the bathroom so many times here they have reserved stalls." The two boys laughed and got up to walk around.

As the bell rang for their next classes Rick headed off. Shane and Daryl were already in the room but the teacher wasn't. That wasn't a good sign. Daryl smiled at him as he walked in, "Hey Grimes. Still drying off? Of all the colors you've worn, I definitely believe the white and brown is the best." Shane smirked again as he sat down in the seat next to Rick's, "Teacher thinks that there was a fight down the hall, thanks to us. Won't be here until he's sure there isn't one." Rick couldn't believe how stupid these kids were. They were sending teachers out on wild chases over nothing. Daryl laughed and a few more kids came in. He lowered his voice as the classroom got louder, "Wait for us outside. Some of your brown is rubbing off." He punched Rick in the shoulder before going to his seat. Shane grinned at him, "I personally think the paint splatters looked better on you." Rick ignored him as the class started.

He was glad when school ended but he knew he'd have to run to make sure he didn't get covered in mud again. He was thankful when he didn't meet up with any of them. Somehow they'd managed to beat him to his house and were waiting there. Merle had joined them this time. Rick cursed his dad's work hours. They'd never get away with this if his dad was home. Daryl had his hand full of mud and Rick had a feeling this wouldn't go well. Shane walked forward and grabbed Rick's arm. He pulled him towards the rest of the group. Rick tried to hit Shane but the bigger kid stopped him and gave him a kick in the back of the leg. Daryl smirked and nodded at Merle.

The older Dixon stepped forward as Shane moved and held Rick's hands behind his back. Merle went for Rick's head and pried open his jaw. Daryl stepped over Rick and grinned. Then very slowly tipped his mud filled hand into Rick's open mouth. Shane made a disgusted noise behind him and Merle laughed. Rick tried to choke it out but Merle put his hand over his mouth and nose so he'd have to swallow. Daryl watched Rick, waiting for him to swallow. Shane peered around, "Is he done yet? It's wet out here. Daryl you gotta wash your hands when we go in." Daryl rolled his eyes, nodded, and continued to watch Rick.

Rick finally couldn't hold it any longer and swallowed the sick substance. Daryl fist pumped, "Yes! Now let's go." Shane let go of Rick's arms and then kicked him forward. The three boys raced back to Shane's home. Rick gagged in his yard and then clambered to his house. He knew he'd get sick later. He lay down on the couch and tried not to think about what had just happened. He still felt the mud sliding down his throat under the stares of three boys. He shook his head trying to shake the thought from his mind. It didn't work and that feeling stayed with him the rest of the night.

**There it is! Thanks for reading! Reviews would be great! Update will be soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok so in apology for updating the wrong chapter I'll update two in a row here. So here's chapter 9! Thanks for being cool about that false update :P**

**Chapter 9**

He was glad when it wasn't raining the next morning. Shane didn't follow him either. He was walking with the Dixons again. At least he wouldn't get harassed before school. When he got to the school, he met Lori. "Rick, are you alright? The Dixons and Shane have been telling everyone about yesterday," she said. Rick nodded, "Yea I'm fine. It was gross but I'm alright." Lori nodded, "You're one tough guy Rick." Rick smiled, "Not really." Lori nodded again, "Yea you are. Most people would have quit coming here by now with them on you all the time. You're standing up to them. That's good." Rick had to laugh, "Might be for some people. Not for me." Lori and Rick walked to their first hour, talking, and got there right as the bell rang. Daryl waved to Rick as he entered and Shane made gagging noises behind him. Rick sat down and the lesson started again.

Halfway through, Daryl started kicking his chair. He took it for five minutes before he turned around and saw Daryl holding out a piece of paper. The kid pointed to the note and then to Lori. Rick shook his head and turned around. The kicking continued until finally Rick held out his hand and he felt the paper drop into his hand. He reached ahead to pass it up to Lori when a paper ball fired over his head and nailed Mr. Greene in the head. The whole class turned towards Daryl and Rick and Mr. Greene saw the note stretched forward in Rick's hand. He walked over and took the note from Rick and then read it. He got in a lot of trouble for whatever the note had said and ended up with a detention after school. As soon as Mr. Greene turned around, Shane and Daryl fist-bumped and laughed.

After class Lori turned to him, "What were you doing Rick? Why would you ever take something from Dixon?" Rick shook his head, "He was kicking my desk for half the hour. I just wanted him to stop." Lori frowned, "Alright. Rick I'm telling you, we have to get back at him someway. He's going to ruin your reputation here." Rick shrugged, "How? I don't see any opportunities." They walked out of class but were interrupted by the younger Dixon, "First detention huh? God, I never thought you were the kind of kid to do stuff like that. Figured you'd be kissing up to half the teachers now. Didn't think you were a rule-breaker. You going to get your girlfriend here in on the action? Hey I'm single by the way." Lori glared at Daryl, "Piss off Dixon." Daryl pretended to be hurt, "Ouch. Don't gotta be so rude about it. Sorry if I offended you in some way. Actually, no, I'm not."

Shane appeared by his side and laughed at the last remark. "She's just mad because all of her girlfriends have gotten themselves guys in the past year and she's still waiting," Shane smirked. Daryl's eyes widened in surprise, "Really? No boyfriend? Well I could change that." Lori pushed him away, "I told you to get lost Dixon." Daryl laughed as he and Shane began to walk away, "Yea, yea, I know. Good luck finding that special guy." The two boys laughed and walked off.

Lunch wasn't too bad. Rick was glad that the other kids kept more to themselves. Lori wandered over to them. "Hey Rick, they're having a fundraiser at the water park that's a little bit out of town. I think we should all go." Rick nodded, "Sounds like fun. I'll go." Glenn nodded in agreement, "Yea I'll come as well." Maggie, T-Dog, and Tyreese also agreed to come.

As lunch came to an end Glenn walked over to Rick, "So, I want to ask Maggie out on a date with me. Do you think I should?" Rick shrugged, "That's up to you." Glenn sighed, "I guess you're right. You know, you should go out with Lori?" Rick looked over at him, "What?" Glenn nodded, "Dude, she likes you. It's totally obvious." Rick smiled slightly, "Maybe I'll ask her then. But you have to ask Maggie first." Glenn smiled slightly, "Ok. Here it goes."

Glenn walked over to Maggie, "Hey Maggie, do you want to, um, go out with me." Maggie looked at him and smiled, "Yes. Ok." Rick heard laughter near him and saw all the boys laughing at Daryl whose face was completely red as he was glared at Glenn and Maggie. Rick's group couldn't help it, they laughed too. Daryl got up and walked out of the cafeteria. Anger radiated off of him as he left. Lori was smiling, "I guess we got him back for everything in a way. Congratulations guys."

Rick laughed and then walked up to Lori, "Hey Lori, would you want to go out with me?" Lori smiled, "This day is getting better and better. Of course." Glenn walked up, "Wow, what a lunch." Rick got a break from Daryl and Shane in his next class because Daryl wasn't talking to anyone. His detention with Mr. Greene wasn't too bad. He just had to sit there and do a few things that he was asked to do. After he left the school, he headed home. He had a girlfriend now. He'd always thought Lori was pretty. He was glad she'd agreed to date him. The water park on the weekend would be fun with everyone going. Maybe, just once, the Dixon brothers and Shane could stay home on that day.

** And that's that. Thanks for reading guys! Reviews would be awesome!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Next chapter here! I told you guys I would get better at updating! Have fun!**

**Chapter 10**

The next two days passed quickly. It was Friday that was the worst. It started off with his first hour, once again. Rick vowed not to wear white shirts anymore. Daryl had apparently brought a black Sharpie to school with him and was writing on the back of his shirt. He hadn't felt it at first but then, there it was, a little poking feeling. He turned around and saw Daryl reclining back in his seat, smiling at him. When he faced the front he felt the same thing again. It went on all hour. He stood up to pack his stuff when Daryl looked at him strangely, "You love Lori, huh Grimes? Weird shirt you got there." Shane laughed, "Hopefully the whole school finds out before it washes off." Daryl rolled his eyes, "You think the idiot that made that shirt put the print in un-waterproof material?" Rick couldn't believe that Daryl had written that on his shirt. The kid had serious issues.

Lunch wasn't much better. He sat down with Lori and his friends and began to enjoy the day for the first time. Daryl came walking around the table with a tray of food. Shane stuck his foot out and Daryl tripped, sending his tray of food straight into Rick's lap and lunch. Of course, Daryl had decided on soup that day. Most of Rick's lunch was not salvageable. Daryl laughed as he got up and Rick had a feeling that the kid had just pretended to trip over Shane's foot.

Shane glanced over at Rick, "Piss yourself, Grimes?" Daryl was cackling, "He saw me coming and he's like, oh shit." Merle was laughing, "How hot was that soup Daryl?" Daryl shrugged, "The lady gave it to me right off the stove. Very hot indeed. I couldn't touch it as I came down here." Rick had to agree in his mind. The soup was indeed very hot. Rick was starving but he didn't have anything, thanks to Daryl. He shook his head and prayed that maybe the soup would dry before he had to go anywhere.

After school, Rick was walking home and he heard someone yell out. He turned around to see Daryl and Shane standing over Glenn. Looks like Daryl was finally getting revenge. Rick started over as he saw Daryl go after Glenn, his fist hitting every reachable part of Glenn. Rick started running. Shane saw him coming and grabbed him, "Hey Daryl, Grimes wants a turn." Daryl didn't turn immediately; he was too busy wailing on Glenn. When he did, he was smiling slightly, "Good. But let's make him watch this first." Rick needed to get to Glenn or at least knock Daryl off. He kicked back aiming for Shane's knee and making contact. Shane grunted a bit, but kept a firm hold on Rick's arms. He moved his feet so they pinned Rick's feet to the ground. He was seriously getting sick of Shane. The kid was incredibly tough. Daryl went back to Glenn. Five minutes later Daryl nodded, satisfied. He kicked Glenn, "Go on get out of here." The injured boy made no attempt to move, so Daryl slammed his foot into him again, "I said go." Glenn got up and ran off.

As Daryl faced Rick, Rick saw nothing in Daryl's eyes except for anger and satisfaction. No remorse. Nothing that looked like Daryl was any bit at all sorry for what he'd just done. He'd just beat the shit out of Glenn for asking Maggie out and he didn't feel a thing. Shane shoved Rick at Daryl and the boy grabbed him. Next thing he knew he was slammed to the ground and Daryl knelt over him. He tried to fend off some of the blows but Daryl was mad and he was fueled by that anger. He felt every single hit. They hurt. Daryl must have gotten about five times stronger than he had been. One particularly nasty punch hit Rick in the stomach and all his air flew out of him.

Daryl backed up off him, "Come on now, Grimes. Let's do this the real way. Rick managed to get up but he knew there was no escape. Daryl glared at him as he set up and then came after him. Rick found that the kid was missing a lot more than usual, his anger getting the better of him. Rick took advantage and punched Daryl in the stomach. The boy staggered but didn't let up. Rick started to dodge around Daryl's strikes and started to take his own. Soon Daryl was losing breath and Rick felt fine. Rick stepped up and shoved Daryl to the ground and went after him. Daryl flipped him off and got right back on top. Even with the hits Rick had delivered, there was nothing stopping Daryl. The strikes rained on him again.

It seemed like forever but Daryl finally tired himself out and nodded to Shane, "Alright leave him here. Let's go." The two walked away. Rick lay there for a few minutes before he pulled himself up. He made his way home. His nose was bleeding but it wasn't broken. He felt like he'd been hit by a car. He threw himself down on his bed. He needed the rest. Tomorrow would be the water park and he couldn't miss that.

**Thanks for reading guys! A few more reviews would be awesome! Like really awesome!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Next chapter is here! Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 11**

Glenn had volunteered his parent's car for the trip to the park, as it was roomy enough to fit everyone. T-Dog was going to drive, as Glenn didn't have his license yet. The group met at his house, which was just a block from Rick's. Glenn grinned, even though he looked pretty bad from Daryl's attack, "Everyone ready? This is going to be pretty awesome." The group laughed as they got in the car. It took a half hour to get there, but when they saw the park, they knew it had been a good idea to come. The group crawled out of the car and walked up to the entrance when Rick saw something he hadn't wanted to see. The Dixons rode up on their cycle with Shane clinging to the back. They were all in their bathing suits already and wearing sleeveless shirts. Glenn groaned, "Why are they here?" T-Dog moved forward, "Hurry, let's go in."

The group hurried into the park, where they had to stop and take everything in. It was huge. Slides were everywhere, entering multiple different pools. Rick had to grin, "This is going to be fun." Lori laughed, "You bet." The group decided to split up and go where they wanted. Rick and Lori headed to one of the biggest slides they saw and got in line. He saw the Dixons enter the park a minute later. Daryl pointed to the slide next to Rick's. The trio headed over. Rick had a feeling they'd probably meet at the top. Sure enough as he climbed up to go, Daryl was on the one next to him. They were both sent at the same time and it was a pretty sweet slide, in Rick's opinion. He landed in the water and saw Daryl come shooting out a second later.

The boy landed next to him and as Rick went to get out of the water, he felt a hand grab his ankle and tug sharply on it. He went under and then emerged a minute later to see Daryl smirking at him. Daryl ran out of the water and headed in a different direction. Rick waited for Lori and they found another slide to go on. This one needed rafts so it was a slower moving line. They had a supply of about ten rafts up at the top but the ones that were used had to be passed back up through the line. After they'd finished that slide they decided they might as well just swim in one of the pools. They hung out in the shallow part, talking for a while.

Kids were coming off the slides every which way. They moved out of the way a little bit and Rick ended up getting nailed by one of the rafts. He fell into the water and looked up to see Daryl laughing at him as Shane came spinning out of the slide next to him. He saw Daryl laughing at Rick and joined in. Merle had been sitting on the side of the pool and had clapped when Daryl nailed Rick with the raft, "Nice aiming little brother." Rick shook himself off and glared at Daryl who smirked at him. "Got a little water on yourself," he said with a grin and then he tossed the raft to the people in line. Shane was busy spinning in the raft, "God Daryl, how'd you go so straight?" Daryl shook his head and came after Rick and Lori again. He dove down and kicked his leg into the back of Rick's knees, sending him underwater. Daryl was back on the surface by the time Rick had gotten himself back up. The kid grinned at him again before swimming away. The other two followed him.

Lori sighed, "I guess we should come up with more plans. He's done a lot in the past week." Rick nodded, "Yea I guess he has. Let's find everyone else. Chill for a while." The two headed off and met up with Glenn and Maggie, who had found a spot to sit and watch. Tyreese and T-Dog came over as well. The six of them talked and ate lunch, while watching the park.

Rick couldn't believe it when a load of water was dumped over his head and three familiar laughs were heard. Of course they couldn't leave him alone. He didn't know how no one had seen that but apparently the lifeguards and other workers were more occupied with the slides and pools. Daryl grinned at him from above, "God Grimes. You have got to stop getting your lunch wet." The other two boys wore identical grins. Glenn stood up, "Get lost Dick-son." He put emphasis on the first part of the kid's last name. Daryl smirked, "How about you stay out of it, Punching Bag. I'm not tired yet. I could still beat the living shit out of you." Rick got up, "Yea, just go ahead and try." Daryl laughed, "You changing sides Grimes? Handing over the Chinese kid so you don't get your ass handed to you?" Glenn narrowed his eyes, "I'm Korean." Daryl shrugged, "Whatever." Rick shook his head, "I almost beat you yesterday. I can do it better this time." Daryl smirked, "I'll believe that when I see it, which I won't."

The standoff continued, as Daryl kept his glare on Rick the whole time. Glenn stepped forward, "Get out of here. We're not in the mood for your stupid jokes." Daryl smirked, "Yea I know. You never are so it's as good a time as any." Shane smiled from Daryl's side. The three boys took a couple steps forward and Rick found himself backing up. They wouldn't really do something here, would they? Shane moved quicker than Rick had thought he could and in a second, Rick was falling backwards into the pool. As he landed, he felt someone else fall in on top of him. He looked to see Daryl's smug grin over him. The kid pushed him down to the bottom and held him there. Rick felt like he was going to explode, when, finally, Dixon let go of him and surfaced. Rick kicked up and made it to the surface right as he opened his mouth. He coughed from the loss of air.

Daryl smiled at him from where he was leaning against the pool wall, "Pretty nice place under water. No one can see what a wimp you are." Rick glared at him but climbed out of the pool. The group decided they could leave because the pool was going to close in an hour. They rode back and T-Dog dropped everyone off at their houses. Rick walked into his house and sighed. He had almost drowned in a water park today. He hated Daryl. The kid was out to kill him. Well, maybe not kill him, but close enough to it. He wondered what horrors they had in store for him next.

**I promise you that eventually the chapters will get a little longer! Just stick with me! Thanks for reading guys! Reviews would be really awesome!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Next chapter is up! Hope you guys are liking it so far. Like I said before the chapters will start getting longer soon. So hang on!**

**Chapter 12**

The next morning he went out in his yard and saw the Dixons' bike parked in Shane's driveway. Not a good sign. He moved quickly past the house and headed towards the center of the town. He was going to look through some of the stores and see if there was anything worth buying. As he walked out of one of the stores, he heard the bike. He was surprised when it was Daryl driving it instead of Merle. Daryl must have started learning to drive it from Merle. The Dixon smiled at him as he rode by and then turned the corner. He shook his head and continued to look around. He found himself in a store with a bunch of videogames. This must have been the store Daryl had robbed a while ago. It actually had some pretty cool games and he reminded himself to come back with money.

He headed back up the street towards his house. He was surprised that the three boys weren't in the yard waiting for him. As he walked up the driveway he heard the Dixon bike. Daryl was coming back from his drive, but just as he was about to pull up to the driveway, a car backed up from the driveway across from his house. Daryl yelled in surprise and swerved the bike. It ran into the tree in Shane's front yard and Daryl bailed quickly. Merle and Shane came running out of the house. Rick ducked away so they didn't see him but he could hear them just fine. "What the hell, Daryl? You just totaled my bike! God you're such an idiot. Why did I ever say you could drive?" Merle was yelling. "I'm sorry. The car backed out and I just panicked," Daryl said. Shane wasn't saying anything as the argument between the brothers increased. "Whatever, I'm going to tell dad you totaled the bike," Merle said angrily. Rick's eyes widened as he heard Daryl's voice waver slightly, "No Merle, don't tell dad." Shane stepped in, "I hardly think that's fair Merle. Come on it was just an accident." But Merle was just too angry, "Shut up Shane. Go back inside. I'm taking my brother home." Shane sighed but Rick heard his retreating footsteps. A second later Merle got the bike started and the Dixons drove off. Something was going on; he wasn't sure what, but it wasn't good.

Rick slipped inside his house. His dad was inside. "Hey Rick," he said as Rick entered the room. Rick smiled, "Hi. The center of town is pretty cool. But you've probably seen it already." His dad nodded, "Only parts." Rick got himself lunch and sat down at the table, "Hey, do you know anything about the Dixons?" His dad shook his head, "Other than they're a bunch of rule-breakers, nothing." Rick nodded and continued eating. When he finished he headed back out. He decided to head to the park and see if anyone was there. Sadly, when he arrived, he saw the younger Dixon brother walking on the sidewalk. Why was Daryl always in the same place as he was? Rick wandered in and sat down on one of the benches. He pulled out his phone and texted Glenn. His friend answered pretty quickly and they got into a pretty interesting argument about which one of them would get kissed by their girlfriend first. Rick was winning, when Daryl came over. Rick texted a quick 'bye' to Glenn and stood to face the kid, who was glaring at him.

"I know you were outside earlier today," Daryl said in a dangerously low voice. Rick shrugged, "Your driving skills are excellent." Daryl shoved him back, "You tell anyone what you heard earlier and I won't let you walk away with your life. You got that Grimes?" Rick nodded, "I wasn't planning on saying anything." Daryl shoved him again, "I swear if you say one thing, the least you'll have to worry about is school. I'll hunt you down until the day I die if I need too." Rick shook his head, "I'm not going to do anything." He shoved Daryl back away from him. "You aren't so tough without your bigger boys around to help you out," he snapped. Daryl leaped at him, "You want to see tough Grimes? I'll beat you so bad no one will recognize you when I'm done. Come on. If I'm not tough alone neither are you."

Rick glared and shoved at Daryl but the kid didn't move and the fight started again. Daryl was over him again and he dug his heels into Rick's shins. Rick winced and then moved so Daryl lost his balance. The kid fell off of him and Rick was on him in a flash. He was trying to pin Daryl like Daryl had done to him but it resulted in a punch to his face and he was knocked off. Daryl got up and Rick met him with a kick to his knee. It bent awkwardly and Rick got to his feet. Driving a fist into Daryl's stomach, he brought his other one around to meet Daryl's head. But Daryl was faster and managed to dodge the second blow and landed his own. He was on Rick again. "You want to look like you got hit by a car? Cause you just don't give up." Daryl started dominating the fight again and Rick realized he should've just left Daryl to his walking. Daryl sent him reeling with a huge punch and then shoved him backwards. Rick hit stone with his leg and landed in the fountain.

Daryl smirked at him from the sidewalk, "Why the hell are you in the fountain? Didn't get enough water yesterday?" Rick got back up, now soaking wet. Daryl pushed him back again, "Go to hell Grimes. You can't beat me. Stop trying." Daryl moved away, shaking his head and jogged out of the park. Rick climbed out of the fountain and sighed. He was tired of getting beat by Daryl. One time he wanted to beat him. Just once. He was getting closer. He'd do it eventually.

**And there it is. Yes, Rick you need to get better at fighting. A lot better. Thanks for reading guys! Reviews would be awesome! They really would!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Next chapter is here guys! Hope you guys are liking it. Like I said before the chapters will start getting longer.**

**Chapter 13**

He headed to school on Monday and was surprised that he wasn't harassed by Daryl and his group. When he walked into his first hour, he was even more surprised when Daryl and Shane were sitting there and not talking. Daryl was looking straight in front of him and Shane was glaring at Daryl. Lori waved at him from her seat and he went to his. She turned to him and whispered, "Andrea went after Daryl yesterday evening. She kind of kicked Shane right out and chased Daryl down. Daryl didn't want anything to do with her but Shane still got mad. He's pissed at Daryl and they aren't talking." Rick nodded, "Strange having them quiet for once." Lori laughed and the class started. It was odd having the two boys behind him quiet. They usually kicked at each other or something. It was just plain weird. The bell rang and Daryl and Shane were up in a flash. They were both out of the room at the same time but Rick had a feeling they wouldn't be talking much. As he walked out of the room, someone's foot caught his ankle and he almost fell. Shane smirked at him from around the corner and Daryl laughed from farther off. Of course a little fight wouldn't stop them from being idiots, but they still didn't walk near each other.

Lunch seemed normal as Rick walked to his table. His group sat by Daryl's and there didn't seem to be much fighting. Daryl and Shane still glared at each other but they talked and tried to get along. Andrea was hanging on Daryl and Rick kind of wanted to throw up. It looked like Daryl did too. Rick was eating when he heard someone else arrive at the table. It was that Phil kid. "Anybody want this?" Phil asked. The older boy held up a little bottle of coke. Daryl shrugged, "Put it in the middle." The bottle got set in between all of the boys and Daryl nudged it away from him. Shane pushed it back and soon they were letting the bottle fly across the table. Shane pushed it but Daryl missed it and it flew towards Rick's end of the table. All the kids watched as it fell on its side and the cap popped off. It spilled all over. Rick was glad he was done eating. It didn't get on him that much but Glenn's lunch was soaked. The group of boys on the other side of the table sat silently, with wide eyes. Glenn was covered in the coke. His hands were sticky and his clothes were wet. It was quiet before a huge snort came from the other side. Rick glanced over and saw Shane turning away from the scene with a hand over his mouth. Rick could tell that Daryl was biting his tongue to stop the laughter. His eyes were watering. Merle was smiling into his lunch and Phil was pretending to be interested in something on the other side of the cafeteria. Rick rolled his eyes. Stupid.

His last hours and his walk home were quiet. Daryl had gotten a ride with Merle and Shane was heading up to the station again. He got home and, for once in his life, didn't have to worry about the yard next to him. He was actually surprised when he saw the Dixon bike pull up and Shane come out to greet them. He watched as the three went inside of Shane's house. Rick shrugged it off and moved back away from the window. He worked on his homework which actually wasn't bad. He didn't plan on going outside because he had a feeling the kids next door would have something waiting for him. He hung out a while before his dad came home. The car pulled up in the driveway and before Rick could process what had happened, there were six bright splotches of paint on the side. His eyes widened as he realized that Daryl, Shane, and Merle were getting a little out of their league. That was a direct attack. He saw his dad scan the yard angrily for the three boys but they must have made their escape quickly. His dad came in cursing them again but Rick watched outside and then the boys appeared. Merle was tapping his gun on the ground annoyed, "Too bad I couldn't have hit the bastard." Daryl smiled, "I almost did. So close." Shane nodded, "He's got a nice paint job now. And we did it for free."

The three kids laughed and that's when something no one was expecting happened. Another cop car pulled up in front of Shane's house. Merle looked at Shane, "Well this just has shit written all over it." Shane nodded, "You guys should get going. He's going to ground me for this. Anyway, come back tonight at like one in the morning. He'll be asleep by then." The Dixons nodded and hoisted their guns over their shoulders. They moved to the bike and drove off, as Shane waited for his dad to come out, holding his gun proudly in front of him. His dad dragged him in the house and Rick moved away. It was 1:00 in the morning. What were they going to do at that time of night?

**1:00 am is a little late on a school night. Rick what are you planning? Anyway, thanks for reading guys! Reviews would really be awesome. I want to know what you think about it.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys the next chapter is here! Now, I know that the it's been a little repetitive in the chapters before that and I'm sorry for it but it will eventually serve a purpose. So sorry for boring the hell out of you guys. There will still probably be some fights between the characters but not as many from here on out. **

**Chapter 14**

Rick woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a motorcycle. He clambered out of bed and saw the Dixons pull into Shane's driveway. Shane walked out of his house a minute later, "What are you guys, crazy? That thing makes so much noise." Merle shrugged, "Whatever. What are we doing?" Daryl was bouncing, "Let's get the car. The house. Something. I want to vandalize something." Rick couldn't believe these kids. Shane nodded, "We will. But I don't have paint except for the paint from the guns." Merle shrugged, "We can find something." Shane shook his head, "You think we're going in my house? My dad is actually home for once in his life. We'll get caught. He's a freakin police officer." Daryl shrugged, "He's got a point, Merle." The three stood there for a few more minutes as Rick watched them. He wanted to know what they were planning. Then he could get his dad to stop them. Finally, Merle said, "Well maybe we can break into one of the stores down in the town that sells paint." Daryl grinned, "Who would do it?" Merle smirked, "Not sure." Rick was just about to leave the window to wake his dad when he heard Shane, "No, we can't. My dad has the watch schedule for the police. They'll be on now. The shift change won't happen for another hour and a half." "Shit!" Daryl said angrily, kicking a tree. Rick left the window and went downstairs quietly. He needed to get a better look. Merle sat down in the grass, "We have an hour. What should we do?" Shane shrugged, "I have no idea." Daryl paced for a minute, "Why don't we go walk or something? We'll get an idea." The two other boys agreed and they started on down the sidewalk. There was nothing Rick could do except wait for them to get back. He sat down on a chair by the window and waited.

It wasn't long before he heard yelling. He waited a few minutes but none of the boys showed up at Shane's house. He opened the door of his house and slowly went outside. He peered down the block and saw a group of seven boys. Three of them he knew. The other four were new - a different group of boys. Rick frowned as they closed in on Daryl's group. He heard Merle shout, "Go! Run! We can't fight these guys." As he shouted, two people launched themselves out of the group. The third wasn't so lucky. One of the gang members managed to grab his arm. "Guys wait! Come back! Help!" Rick knew the voice. He winced as the two bigger boys ran for their lives and pretended not to hear the younger Dixon's cries. "Merle! Shane! Please!" Daryl was yelling as the four other kids closed on him. Shane and Merle didn't turn around. As they ran past Rick's hidden form, he heard Merle say, "Should we go back for Daryl?" Shane shook his head, "We can't fight those guys off. And besides, he stole my girlfriend – he can fend for himself." Rick couldn't believe what he had just heard – they were going to leave Daryl to fight those guys alone.

Rick turned his attention back to the group of boys. Two of them were holding Daryl but he was still putting up a fight. "Get your freakin hands off me! Sons of bitches!" he yelled angrily. He kicked one of the kids in the shin but the kid held fast. Rick hadn't expected that to work – all those kids were huge. The youngest kid had to be Merle's age. The biggest one stepped forward and said something Rick couldn't hear, to one of the boys holding Daryl. The kid nodded and kicked Daryl's legs out from under him. His knees hit the ground hard. Rick winced. Although, Daryl's arms were still being held, he was on his feet in an instant and he knocked one of the kids off of him and jumped on the second kid. The first kid he had hit got up quickly and grabbed Daryl off of the second boy. Daryl struggled to get out of the kid's grip but the kid held strong. The kid holding him delivered a punch to Daryl's side and the younger boy stopped moving.

The leader nodded and moved forward and this time Rick heard him, "Hold his head steady. Don't let him move." The kid holding Daryl grabbed his head. The leader stepped forward and blocked Rick's view for a minute. When he moved, Rick saw that Daryl was blindfolded. Daryl couldn't see so he couldn't fight back or see the hits that were coming at him. He was totally defenseless. This was not fair. The leader stepped back with a small smile on his face, "Well let's get the fun started then, shall we?" Daryl turned his head towards the leader, "Screw you!"

**Thanks for reading guys! Sorry about the shortness of the chapter. Reviews would be great!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Next chapter is here! Sorry for the delay guys! I wanted to make this chapter perfect. Anyway I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 15**

The leader nodded at the boy who hadn't done anything yet and the kid stepped forward. He had something in his hand. He drove his fist into Daryl's stomach and Daryl immediately dropped. It must have been something hard. Rick was surprised to actually notice that the fight was right in front of the house next to his. Not Shane's, but the other one. They must have moved down so they could be out of the light. Daryl was kneeling on the ground in front of the two boys. The leader stepped forward and grabbed his shirt, "Come on stand up!" The two boys holding Daryl dragged him to his feet again. The kid who had punched him the first time moved up again to deliver the same punch but somehow Daryl moved out of the way and managed to kick the kid in the nose. The leader glared at his second in command, "Get out of here." The kid nodded and walked away. Just the three boys now. The leader moved in, "Alright, we're done playing nice - let's get the main act started." Daryl turned towards the leader's voice, "Yea? I kicked your friend in the face. How about you get out of here?" Rick knew Daryl was trying to come up with something sarcastic to say but he was also scared. The leader smirked and pulled something out of his pocket, handing it to one of the boys holding Daryl. The kid took it and flipped it open - a knife.

The leader paced before Daryl and then took out his own knife, "Alright. Cut his shirt off." Daryl stiffened at that and immediately started struggling. The leader grabbed his head, "You keep moving and we're going to cut you." Daryl spit in his face and kept struggling. The leader shrugged and then slashed the knife down one of Daryl's arms. Daryl gasped slightly and stopped moving for just a second but it was enough for the two boys holding him to get a better grip. They cut off Daryl's shirt and the leader signaled for the two boys to let go of him. He kicked Daryl from behind so the kid landed in the dirt. "Nice scars kid. Let me add a few more," the leader said with a slight laugh. He slashed Daryl again. Then he stepped his boot on the wound and that was the first time that Rick had ever heard Daryl scream. This had to stop. The kid went after Daryl again. This time it wasn't a slash, it was a stab, right in the back of the leg. Another cry escaped Daryl. Daryl was squirming on the ground, desperately trying to escape the blade of the knife even though he couldn't see. Another stab hit Daryl in the side. It would've gone into his stomach but Daryl had moved out of the way in time. The leader signaled to one of the other boys and they held Daryl while the leader drove his fist into Daryl's bloody side. Rick heard Daryl cry out again. The pain must have been unbearable.

The leader stood up, impressed with his work, "Get over here." The other two boys walked to the leader's side and they talked quietly. Rick crept closer to the group. He managed to make out what they were saying. "Alright, I'm just going to finish up shop. Danny, you stay and Jack you leave. I'll be right behind you," the leader was saying. The boy named Jack nodded and headed off quickly down the path. The leader twirled his knife and nodded, "Let's go." He approached Daryl and flipped him over. Daryl was gasping for breath and his chest rose and fell quickly. He had no idea that he was about to die. The leader moved over Daryl and raised the knife.

Rick didn't know why he did it. He hated Daryl with every fiber of his being. And this was what Daryl had been doing to him, right? Just a little more violent? But not even Daryl deserved this. He ran out of his cover and managed to get his arm in the way of the blade before it stabbed Daryl in the chest. The leader yelled angrily. Rick slammed his fist into the leader's face and then went after the boy named Danny. The gang member was already after him. Rick dodged the first few hits and then hit Danny in the stomach. He hadn't thought about the fact that these kids were tougher than Daryl so he was a little surprised when his punch hadn't done much. He dodged another one and hoped that the leader was still in shock from the nose-breaker. Danny hit him in the shoulder and Rick realized he'd make it out of the fight because Danny couldn't aim. All he did was punch and hope that he hit something. Rick kicked the kid again in the stomach and then hit him in the face. Danny went down and then got up and fled. The leader came at him as Rick turned around. Rick saw the glint of a knife and dodged it. He didn't want to get stabbed. Heck, no one did. He decided to counter the next attempt at him. The leader came at him again and Rick caught his wrist. He tried to get the knife out of the kid's grip but the guy was too strong. Rick had a knife in his pocket that he'd managed to get off of Danny. If only he could get it. The leader shoved Rick back and he hit the ground hard. The older boy didn't rush him; instead he turned toward Daryl and went for the kill strike.

Rick got up quickly and knocked the leader off of Daryl. Unfortunately, the kid landed on Daryl's leg, the one that had been stabbed. Daryl screamed through clenched teeth and the leader smirked again. "You have some reason for saving this kid? He seems like a piece of shit to me. The kid grinned and made sure to step on the Daryl. Rick went for him again but missed as the kid was suddenly on the ground. Daryl had kicked the guy's legs out from underneath him and now Rick had an easy shot. Hitting the kid twice on his already broken nose, he backed off and waited. The other boy struggled to his feet but didn't go after Rick. The leader glared at Rick, "You idiot. We were doing people a favor, getting rid of that him." He nodded at the now very still form of Daryl. Rick stepped forward threateningly, "Get out of here now or I won't mind killing you." He pulled out the knife he'd stolen from Danny while he was fighting him. The boy moved away from him but nodded, "Fine. Have it your way."

Rick waited until the kid had disappeared before he went to Daryl. He cut away the blindfold and saw that Daryl was actually still conscious and looking at Rick confused. Rick looked down at him, "Are...are you ok?" Daryl looked at him, "Why'd you do it Grimes? Why in the hell would you save me, after…. everything?"

**Thanks for reading guys! Reviews would be great!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Don't hate! I'm sorry I've been out for a while but I hope to update as much as I can today and tomorrow. Anyway thank you guys for staying with this story because I promise that things will get a little more interesting in a few chapters. Mhm. **

**Chapter 16**

Rick honestly didn't know so he ignored the question and knelt down next to Daryl, who was still watching him. For being in a lot of pain, the other boy didn't show it. "Are you ok?" Rick asked again. Daryl managed to shrug slightly, "Perfect. Couldn't be better. Just got stabbed three freakin times, but I'm fine." Rick ignored the sarcasm, "Well, maybe we should get you up." Daryl shrugged again and tried to sit up. He gasped in pain and Daryl lay back down. Rick got up, "Well I guess we should call someone. Ambulance, I guess, since you can't walk and there's no way I can carry you with one arm. You look like you're in bad shape anyway. Ambulance would be the best choice."

But Daryl was shaking his head even before Rick had finished, "No. No ambulance. It's not too deep. We can just bandage it up." Rick looked down at him, "No, it's bad. You need a doctor." Daryl looked at the ground, "Really, I'll be fine. Don't need a doctor." Rick was already pulling out his cell phone to call and then he knelt back down to Daryl, "Yes you do. You're bleeding too much." Daryl turned away from Rick's gaze, "Don't wanna cause any more trouble." Rick turned away and called the ambulance anyway. Daryl needed medical attention. As soon as he had finished his call he turned back to Daryl, "It'll be here in a few minutes." Daryl didn't look at him. There was a slight hint of anger in the kid's face, mixed with fear. Finally, Daryl turned to him, "What happened to your arm?" Rick was taken aback at first. He didn't expect Daryl to actually care. "Got stabbed when I stopped the big guy from stabbing you in the chest." Daryl looked really guilty, "Oh." They sat in silence and then he heard the ambulance. Daryl was out, the pain and loss of blood finally getting to him. Rick made sure he stood in front of Daryl so he could get the other boy help first. The medics got out and Rick nodded to Daryl, "Get him fixed up first. I only have one cut." They rushed around Daryl and then Rick followed them. The one medic wrapped Rick's arm in a bandage and they left for the hospital.

When they got there, the medics took Daryl away and Rick was led off to another room. His arm was examined by a doctor who stitched him up and bandaged his arm tightly. He sat there for a little while before he called his dad's phone. His dad answered immediately. Rick calmed him down and assured him that he was ok. He said that he had seen a gang fight outside and they were going to kill the one boy so he had to go help. His dad told him he would come down the next day and then the call was over. A doctor walked in, "Hello Rick, I'm Doctor Jenner. Are you alright?" Rick nodded, "Yea I'm fine." The doctor nodded, "That's good. Do you know the boy that you came in with well?" Rick shrugged, "Not really. Didn't really talk with him that much." The doctor nodded again, "Well, do you know someone who might know him well? I have a few questions to ask them." Rick didn't know how to answer that, so he didn't say anything. Doctor Jenner continued, "He'll be sharing the room with you. We want to keep you overnight just to make sure there's no infection." Rick nodded, "Yea, that's fine. Is he ok?" He didn't know why he was so worried about Daryl. The doctor nodded slightly, "He'll be alright after a little recovery time." Rick leaned back on his bed, "So he'll come here after he's done getting fixed up?" The doctor nodded again, "Yes. Pretty soon actually." He left and Rick was left alone. Why had the doctor been asking those weird questions about Daryl? It was odd. He lay back in the bed and closed his eyes. He was exhausted from the night. Everything had happened so fast.

Noises woke him up an hour later. He looked around the room and noticed a doctor helping Daryl into the bed on the other side of Rick. Rick thanked the heavens that it was a good five feet away instead of close to his. That would be just too weird. The doctors left and Daryl moved around slightly in his bed before settling in, his back to Rick. His hospital gown shifted, and in the dim light, Rick caught a glimpse of Daryl's back. Rick felt his jaw drop. Everywhere on Daryl's back were scars. Criss-crossed across him like some evil design. Rick turned away quickly. He remembered what the leader of the other gang had said about adding more scars. He had made a joke out of it. It was some sort of sick humor the kid enjoyed. Had this been what the doctor was wondering about? Had wanted to ask him about? He heard Daryl move again in the bed on the other side and Rick decided there was no point in worrying about it now.

**I know it's kind of short. I want to get the next chapter up in a few days so look forward to that. Thanks for reading and reviews would be awesome!**


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